LCG: Oh the joy, the excellence, the uh, excitement! Ugh the fakery, the condescension, the scorn!

From an LCG source:

Tomorrow's World Now (Live) . Actual quotes (excerpts from first 4 minutes out of 20):

Host Dylan King: It's a brand new technology.

...

We're excited to come to you right now, live, wherever you might be. You might be on your phone, you might be on your computer, you might be at home, you might be at work, you might be in Asia, you might be in India. You could be ANYWHERE in the world and seeing us RIGHT NOW, which is SO exciting for us to be able to talk to you, right here now.

...

What do you think about this really neat endeavor that the Living Church of God is doing through Tomorrow's World now; this new show?

Wyatt Ciesielka: First of all, I'm really excited about it. God has called his church to preach the gospel to the world and this is one way we can do it.

...

It's a big day for us. Hopefully God will bless it (scornful comment: if you don't get huge numbers does it mean God isn't blessing it?), hopefully those who watch it online will pray for us and pray that it will be blessed, and that it can be effective (scornful comment: if it fails we know who to blame, the faithless viewers!) .

Host: Right now there's probably 10, 20, 30, we don't know how many people watching, but, you know, there's  a really HUGE potential out there for this technology (scornful comment: but if nobody views it other than LCG members it means that God is obviously not calling anyone, so it's still a success because you tried but it wasn't in God's will for anyone to view, right?). I mean, how many people are actually on Facebook these days? 'Cause I know it grows pretty much every day, every minute, every hour, right?

Wyatt Ciesielka: Some stats that we looked up before the show, there are more than 5 new profiles created every second. Uh, there's probably about 2 billion active Facebook users, some uh, sources say about 1.9 billion, but those are ACTIVE Facebook users.

Um, and we know Facebook reaches people all around the world, like you were mentioning. There's something also coming out, uh, which we're excited about, it might be an opportunity for us to reach people in the developing world: Facebook Lite.

... 

Yeah, and what's really, uh, exciting, and I think, um, you know, we know that uh, media can be used for good or bad, we understand that. But, uh, I think the church has to take advantage of technology, and doors that God opens.

I have a Question: Is this True? Is this Reasonable? Is this Confusing? Why does my stomach hurt?

Dear Split (UCG/LCG), Splinter (RCG/PCG)  Sliver (CCG) and Assorted Types Attracted to Those Who Claim to Know...

When you listen, week after week, month after month, year after year and now decade after decade to your under educated, poorly trained, Biblically haunted,  self absorbed, tale weaving, psychologically unstable, personality deficient, title taking,  mistaken and misapplication prone Apostle, "Prophet" or Pastor, allow yourself what all people are entitled to in life to wonder about and openly ask of any one who insists you believe them. 

Is this true?  Is this reasonable?  Is it kind?  Can we prove this?  How does he know that?  Is he stable?  Does the Bible really mean that?  Is this for us today?  Is it confusing and causing confusion?  Does it matter?  What is the chance this fantastical view is correct?   What will happen to me/us if it is not correct?  Do my concerns, fears and questions about this matter him?  What has happened to those who have disagreed in the past?  Was that the proper response to "prove all things?"  Will he apologize personally if completely wrong?  If he was wrong then why is he right now?  If he is wrong again, why would he be right in the future?  What does "In the multitude of counsel there is safety" mean to my leaders?  ...and all the other questions that race through your mind as well as thinking your  doubts should match the questions you actually ask and wish an answer for without fear of unintended consequences.

It's ok to ask....

 Why be skeptical?

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/secularoutpost/2014/10/25/why-be-skeptical/

Nobody should be skeptical just because they are told by me or by a teacher or by a parent that they should be skeptical.   I believe there are good reasons why people should be skeptical, especially if they are interested in knowing and believing what is true and what is reasonable to believe:

1. People are often dishonest, deceptive, or have been deceived by others.
2. People are often irrational or motivationally biased in their thinking (e.g. egocentrism, sociocentism, wishful thinking, superstition, and sexism).
3. People have natural tendencies to think illogically, even when they manage to avoid being irrational or motivationally biased in their thinking (e.g. hasty generalization, post hoc fallacy, confirmation bias, false dilemma, errors based on the ‘representativeness heuristic’, belief bias (“When one’s evaluation of the logical strength of an argument is biased by their belief in the truth or falsity of the conclusion.” See article on Cognitive Bias:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_bias )
4. Most of what people believe, they “learned” from others (parents, teachers, pastors, friends, books, magazines, television, movies, newspapers, blogs) who are usually not experts in, and not well-informed about, the topics that they were talking about. Misinformation is a widespread cultural phenomenon.
5. The truth or the best solution to a problem is often difficult to figure out, even when everyone involved is thinking logically, rationally, and being honest (which is almost never the case).
6. Skepticism works, especially in relation to trying to understand nature and how natural processes work.  Science works by challenging claims, assumptions, and theories, and by demanding carefully gathered facts and data to support claims, assumptions, hypotheses and theories, and by subjecting scientific arguments, hypotheses, experiments, and theories to skeptical peer review."

(A Timely Reminder and one of the greatest COG quotes of all time )

  

"I want to make a statement about...me...now, if I became deceived, I will never tell you what I'm going to tell you now...I am telling you  if I go off into strange ideas,  misconduct, rebellion, you name it, don't follow me. I want to tell you that now, because if I start doing that I'm gonna try to get you to follow me! I'm gonna come to you and tell you it doesn't apply, it doesn't mean me, no, no, no, no, no, no, it's OK to follow me because ABCD and XY and Z. Do you understand what I'm saying? Listen to me now, when I tell you don't follow me if I go off into weird ideas, or if I get off into other things that are total absolutely unscriptural conduct,because if I do I'm gonna paint it with a different face and try to get you to follow me. Do you understand what I'm saying brethren? Please remember that, because I promise you that if I become deceived, I'll forget it, and I'll want you to forget it...And  I hope you'll remember it well enough to quote it right back to me...But I'll tell you what, I'm not going anywhere.

Dave Pack

December 12, 1998

No One Has Been Listening To Me For One And Three Quarter Decades...

Poor Dave Pack, he has been blasting out a warning message for 17 years now and no one in the broader Church of God cares.  He has had 3 1/2 years of prophecies fail.  Superfantabulous Dave is not so superfantabulous after all!

I would submit to you, that moment has not yet come. I’m not a ruler. You are not. We have no authority. We have no reach, no power, to get to the splinters to hear or see us. We just passed a couple days ago, seventeen-and-a-half years old. I have tried for one-and-three-quarter-decades of my life, with all my heart and mind and soul and being…You’ve seen the books…to try to movepeople, and they’re not listening. I have no authority over them; neither do any of our ministers; neither do any of our staff. We are not, currently, today—and it is impossible to say that we are—in any sense, ruler over all of God’s household…yet! But at a point, prior to when He comes, it says we better be found so doing. At some point, we will be. I would submit to you, it’s not exactly clear when that happens.

Maybe there’s a way to view it where it’s already happened, because we’re giving them tools and they might start listening. But I would submit to you, the greater way to think of it, is when they have no shepherds—there’s no one to tell them what to do—they’re crying day and night, in what can only be called, perfectly, by God, a fire and they’re not allowed out. Their “go” signal, their “exit” signal, is a point after the wicked leave. God has curiously flipped it. They’re going to find they’re the only ones left. And somebody has to be working with them and found so doing that. Because that’s what His household is—all of his domestic affairs. To give them food—feed the flock of slaughter; to give them meat in due season—kairos, a set appointed time right before Christ returns—where you feedthem.

Dave is still predicting that tens of thousands of COG Members will soon be fleeing their respective COG groups and joining up with Dave and his band a merry makers.  Just think what a fun day it will be to see Bob Thiel bowing before Dave in obedience.  Just imagine James Malm and Vic Kubik being subservient to Dave.  What a scene that will be!  Just imagine Dave swiping Gerald Flurry's Stone of Scone  and placing it in Wadsworth.

What an absolute pathetic mess Armstrongism has turned into.  It is an embarrassment.  30 years after having a chance to make it right, all they do is bicker, whine and self-appoint themselves to new lofty positions, of which not a single one of them is qualified for.

It Is Passover Time In The COG. Is Your Salvation At Stake?

The Matzo or the Egg?

It is almost Passover time in the various Churches of God.  The abusive splinter groups are posting all kind so articles letting members know that their salvation is at stake of they take it improperly, miss it, or have not removed every bit of learning from their homes.  They will soon gathering in high school gyms, union halls or Masonic Lodges to observe their solemn version of killing Jesus once again, where they will leave him till next year when they gather in the same room.  Church members have been so conditioned to fear for their salvation that they are concerned as to what to do this time of year if they have left a COG group.   Do not let the lying fear mongers like Bob Thiel, James Malm, Dave Pack, Gerald Flurry and other frighten you that your salvation is at stake.  It is not.  It is an impossibility.

Exit and Support has the following up:

How can I observe Passover if I've left the group? 

We need to first understand that the observance of festivals in high demand groups is for the purpose of controlling members. It is much easier to have authority over someone if their lives are molded around the "church."  

Leaders of totalistic groups have always taught that if healthy members didn't show up for the Passover service, they were gravely sinning and were in danger of "losing the Holy Spirit." To the contrary, the Scriptures show that the Holy Spirit and eternal life cannot be lost or taken away, and we are sealed the moment we place our faith and trust in Christ. (See John 14:16; John 10:28; II Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30)  

Christ, our Passover, has already been offered. Therefore, to continue to observe the O.T. Passover is to say He never came.  

Today many Christians observe what is called the "Lord's Supper" (often referred to as Communion), but the issue is not whether we do or don't observe a ritual and how often. It is about what Christ has already done for us and remembering that every day. He no longer holds our sins against us. 

The Lord's Supper (excellent study; explains the Last Supper in the context of the Passover; also covers I Corinthians 11 in the 2nd message and how many people have twisted it today) (offsite link]

What about The Night To Be Much Observed?

Should Christians celebrate the Night to be Much Observed? Nowhere does the Bible tell Christians to observe this occasion.

WHAT?!?!?!? How on earth can I say that? It's a Night. To. Be. Much. Observed. The Bible clearly tells us to remember it. It's in the name, for crying out loud.

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How did Christ's original disciples spend the night after the Passover? Were they celebrating the night of this alleged observance, while their teacher's body lay in the garden tomb?  It seems unlikely. There is no mention of a celebration that night, and John 20:11 tells us that Mary Magdalene was still weeping when she went to the tomb. The disciples appeared to be visibly upset when Christ met them on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:17. Lavish food was the furthest thing from their minds.

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In short, the case for celebrating Herbert W Armstrong's Night to Be Much Observed is flimsy at best. Christians who honestly consider its alleged timing and symbolism may find it a tad distasteful. The COGs have us celebrate Christ's victory when His body was barely cold in the grave, yet they ignore the miracle of His resurrection. If were commanded to keep it, that would be one thing. But we aren't. It isn't even in the Bible. 

MUST CHRISTIANS OBSERVE THE OLD COVENANT PASSOVER?

Were gentiles in Corinth observing the Feast of Unleavened bread?

Easter FAQ

Easter History part I

Easter History part II

Wayne Carver's Crucifixion Chronology - part I

Wayne Carver's Crucifixion Chronology - part II

Dave Pack: Those in the splinter groups are walking around with their private parts hanging out...spiritually speaking...

Dave Pack on the greedy, grasping and covetous splinter group leaders and members.

It’s also a quality of God. God is longsuffering. People have really disgraced God’s name. For decades, a lot of these people, who will turn out to be wonderful, walked around with what Christ says is their private parts hanging out, spiritually speaking! They walked “naked” and disgraced Him. This great servant came in the 20th century, and when he died and we had a false leader, they ruptured into 400 groups, they were so greedy and grasping and covetous. Trust me when I tell you, because I know so many of them. They are covetous! They’ll find no problem…be falling off a log backwards to sell God’s people from these groups—who shamefully went on to split into 400 groups because they didn’t see a leader like Mr. Armstrong. Certainly, Joe Tkach wasn’t, so they picked the leader of their choosing.

I don’t know if God gets embarrassed by His people. I don’t know. I don’t read in the Scriptures that God gets embarrassed; but certainly, they have trashed His name, and they’ve flung mud all over the name of Herbert W. Armstrong by falling into this terrible condition. God isn’t going to let them just waltz back in while He’s playing their favorite tune. They have to be tested, and proof that they need to be tested is that some of them are going to sell out. What if He just let them come? The sellouts would come back, and we’d have a mess on our hands.